NBA 2K18 – Review
Follow Genre: Sports
Developer: Visual Concepts
Publisher: 2K
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
Tested on: Xbox One

NBA 2K18 – Review

Site Score
8.5
Good: Great gameplay with an interactive career mode that respect realism
Bad: Career can sometimes be more watching than playing
User Score
8.5
(2 votes)
Click to vote
VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 8.5/10 (2 votes cast)

Basketball is a fun sport and a great alternative to soccer for many years. As a popular ballgame it got many version throughout the years, from the official field games to the street versions of NBA, this three lettered abbreviation is more than just a brand, it has become an icon. And this deserves a great title for players to enjoy this sport in their free time.

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Story

It all starts with a blank slate, a new career, a fresh opportunity for a youngster to make it big in the ranks. First you fully create a character and this will be the avatar that might one day make it to be the new Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. After this is done you may choose freely what team you want to join, this is pretty neat if you always wanted to be a L.A. Lakers player but never could be one. Working your way up is that of hard sportsmanship and well-executed moves. Because you need to prove yourself towards the team you will begin on the sidelines. Naturally when you start to perform better you will go from being a benchwarmer to a real all-star. The other neat thing is during intervals some players will actually talk about the current match and tell what happened in a certain event. Furthermore, this is as far as an actual story goes, there is no step-by-step follow up of your character growing as in some other games where the spotlights are constantly on you.

Graphics

For a game that concentrates on many firm mechanical interactions it must look the part and have characters realistically depicted for better immersion. NBA does this well with the facial expressions of tired players or the frustration when they miss that much needed goal. Overall the graphics feel very smooth to the eyes to let the actual gameplay stand out better. In the blacktop mode the open surroundings do feel a bit empty but it is understandable since it is outside and gives us a more NBA Street kind of vibe. When playing indoor you will notice that the spectators are real people and not the old cardboard cutout kind of style.

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Sound

When you think about NBA there is a great chance that some Hip Hop music will come to mind. This combination might be a bit strange at first but it goes perfectly hand in hand to create a great atmosphere. In previous games we always found this kind of songs and therefore we are glad that this makes it return year after year. Naturally a game isn’t all about the music unless it’s a game centered around it, NBA 2K18 has some great commentator voicing done that almost feels like you are watching a real match.

Gameplay

NBA 2K18 is a basketball game that will take the sport to the next level as graphics and gameplay improve each year. One of the biggest factors is the huge career mode, this will follow the ups and downs of an aspiring basketball player shooting for the stars. You start out with a persona you create, this avatar can be fully adjusted to your needs and you must take in consideration that when selecting height, weight and wingspan this will all affect performance like speed, shot power and reach.

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Now that you have the right person it is time to select the team you want to join and the place you want on the field, this will determine where you are set on the court and what main role you will play. Are you built to be a defender or an attacker or maybe an all-round? In the top right is a score bar that works like a health meter, when you perform well and do great moves it increases and your standings improve. However if you hurt the chances of your squad or do irresponsible actions, points will get deducted and you can be put on the bench again. When this happens on a timeout you will notice the teams talking about strategy and various mascots will dance around to entertain the viewers.

If you are a new player it is in your best interest to check out the tutorial, this is a very good and detailed one that allows you to learn the game in a few different steps. First it is all the basic moves and when moving on the more advanced combinations are taught. The controls are easy to learn and to master with no high difficulty curve. Overall the game plays very smoothly and is not overly frustrating when you miss a shot or fail a pass.

Next to the nice story mode there are two other main modes: NBA and Blacktop. Play a quick match with selected teams offline or online with friends or do a more interesting street like version that allows you to choose from 1 vs 1 up to teams of 5 vs 5. Naturally getting the ball in is a combination of luck and skills, while other sport games give you a very high chance of scoring when knowing your way around, in NBA however you can shoot perfectly and still see the ball bouncing out. This makes the game very realistic because the perfect throw is a combination of the right power at the right angle.

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When you feel done with the main modes there is also a MyGM/MyLEAGUE mode for those who want to be a NBA General Manager or create their own 80-year fully customizable league. In the GM mode you must control a team with limited resources and preferences of the owner. In the League mode you either choose current teams or have a mix between current en historic teams and then make the selection to be in a regular season or re-write history in the off-season.

Conclusion

NBA 2K18 is a fun basketball game that shows the sport in both ways, from serious in-house games with world famous teams to a more street-like outdoors event that is both calming and exciting. The career shows how a rookie who enters the ranks get treated and it’s good that you have to show what you got. The graphics look the part and players look more than just animated puppets, they feel like organic creatures. This is not just a game anymore, it is almost a simulator.

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Rating: 8.5/10 (2 votes cast)
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NBA 2K18 - Review, 8.5 out of 10 based on 2 ratings
MC_JP


Never give up on a dream. It might be a long nightmare, but one day it will change into a beautiful reality - MC_JP 2014

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